Global communication network

ABSTRACT

A communication system allows communication between two users separated by a long distance includes a source ground station, a constellation, one or more linking-gateways, and a destination ground station. The constellation includes groups of communication devices orbiting or traveling around the earth. A first communication device of a first group of communication devices is in communication with the source ground station and receives a communication from the source ground station. The linking-gateway is in communication with at least the first and a second group of communication devices. The linking-gateway receives the communication from the first group of communication devices and sends the communication to a second communication device of the second group of communication devices. The destination ground station is in communication with the second group of communication devices, the destination ground station receiving the communication from a communication device of the second group of communication devices.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. patent application is a continuation of, and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. §120 from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/229,084,filed on Mar. 28, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a global communication network.

BACKGROUND

A communication network is a large distributed system for receivinginformation (signal) and transmitting the information to a destination.Over the past few decades the demand for communication access hasdramatically increased. Although conventional wire and fiber landlines,cellular networks, and geostationary satellite systems have continuouslybeen increasing to accommodate the growth in demand, the existingcommunication infrastructure is still not large enough to accommodatethe increase in demand. In addition, some areas of the world are notconnected to a communication network and therefore cannot be part of theglobal community where everything is connected to the internet.

Satellites and high-altitude communication balloons are used to providecommunication services to areas where wired cables cannot reach.Satellites may be geostationary or non-geostationary. Geostationarysatellites remain permanently in the same area of the sky as viewed froma specific location on earth, because the satellite is orbiting theequator with an orbital period of exactly one day. Non-geostationarysatellites typically operate in low- or mid-earth orbit, and do notremain stationary relative to a fixed point on earth; the orbital pathof a satellite can be described in part by the plane intersecting thecenter of the earth and containing the orbit. Each satellite may beequipped with communication devices called inter-satellite links (or,more generally, inter-device links) to communicate with other satellitesin the same plane or in other planes. The communication devices allowthe satellites to communicate with other satellites. These communicationdevices are expensive and heavy. In addition, the communication devicessignificantly increase the cost of building, launching and operatingeach satellite; they also greatly complicate the design and developmentof the satellite communication system and associated antennas andmechanisms to allow each satellite to acquire and track other satelliteswhose relative position is changing. Each antenna has a mechanical orelectronic steering mechanism, which adds weight, cost, vibration, andcomplexity to the satellite, and increases risk of failure. Requirementsfor such tracking mechanisms are much more challenging forinter-satellite links designed to communicate with satellites indifferent planes than for links, which only communicate with nearbysatellites in the same plane, since there is much less variation inrelative position. Similar considerations and added cost apply tohigh-altitude communication balloon systems with inter-balloon links.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the disclosure provides a communication system including asource ground station, a constellation of communication devices, one ormore linking-gateways, and a destination ground station. A groundstation may be a gateway or a user terminal, and such ground station maybe located on the ground, on a ship, or on an aircraft. Theconstellation of communication devices includes groups of communicationdevices orbiting the earth. Each group has an orbital path or trajectory(plane) different from another group. A first communication device ofthe first group is in communication with the source ground station andreceives communication from the source ground station. Thelinking-gateway is in communication with at least the first and secondgroups of communication devices. The linking-gateway receives thecommunication from the first group of communication devices and sendsthe communication to a second communication device of the second groupof communication devices. The destination ground station is incommunication with the second group of communication devices. Thedestination ground station receives the communication from acommunication device of the second group of communication devices.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing features. In some implementations, the source ground stationreceives the communication from a first user through a cabled or fiberoptic or a wireless radio-frequency connection, and the destinationground station transmits the communication to a second user through acabled or fiber optic or a wireless radio-frequency connection. One orboth users may be data centers or other computing facilities. Otherimplementations are possible as well, such as free-space opticalcommunications or combinations of free-space optical, cabled, wirelessradio-frequency, and fiber optic communications between users andgateways. The communication devices may include communication balloonsand/or satellites or other high-altitude devices capable ofcommunicating, such as manned or unmanned aircraft. In some examples,the linking-gateway is moving across the earth and may be on anairplane, a boat, a train, or any other moving object.

In some examples, a communication originates from a user near a sourceground station having the first group of communication devices (e.g.,orbiting the earth in a plane) as its nearest group of communicationdevices. The source ground station sends the communication to the firstgroup of communication devices. Communication devices within the firstgroup of communication devices may send the communication betweencommunication devices (e.g., in a serial fashion via inter-device links)to reach a nearest linking-gateway. The linking-gateway may be one ofseveral linking-gateways located in a region (e.g., the North or SouthPole of the earth) where multiple groups of communication devices crosspaths. A communication device of the first group of communicationdevices sends the communication to the linking-gateway, which then sendsthe communication to a nearest communication device of the second groupof communication devices. Communication devices within the second groupof communication devices may send the communication betweencommunication devices (e.g., in a serial fashion via inter-device links)to reach the destination ground station. In some examples, the secondgroup of communication devices relays the communication via a secondlinking-gateway to a third group of communication devices. This could berepeated as many times as necessary to reach a final group ofcommunication devices, which then send the communication to the secondground station.

In some implementations, a current communication device in possession ofthe communication is in communication with a forward communicationdevice within the orbital path or trajectory (plane) of its group ofcommunication devices and a rearward communication device within theorbital path or trajectory (plane) of its group of communication devicesvia inter-device links. The current communication device, forwardcommunication device, and the rearward communication device are withinthe same group of communication devices. After the first communicationdevice receives the communication, the first communication device maysend the communication via an inter-device link to the forwardcommunication device or the rearward communication device. Thecommunication device receiving the communication may forward thecommunication to the linking-gateway.

The system may further include a data processing device in communicationwith some or all of the source ground stations, the constellation ofcommunication devices, the linking-gateway and the destination groundstation. The data processing device determines a path of thecommunication from a source in communication with the source groundstation to a destination in communication with the destination groundstation. In some examples, the data processing device determines thepath based on at least one of a border gateway protocol, an interiorgateway protocol, maximum flow algorithm, or shortest path algorithm.Additionally or alternatively, the data processing device may determinethe path based on a scoring function utilizing one or more of a distancebetween the source and the destination, a capacity of the inter-devicelink between two devices, an operational status of a communicationdevice, and a signal strength of a communication device. The scoringfunction may be based on additional or different factors that allow thedata processing device to determine an efficient or lowest latency path.The operational status of a communication device may include an activestatus or an inactive status of the communications device (for example,of the communication device as a whole or one or more individualcomponents of the communication device). As such, the determined pathmay avoid inactive communication devices.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of communication. Themethod includes determining a path of a communication from a sourceground station to a destination ground station through a constellationof communication devices including groups of communication devicesorbiting the earth. Each group has an orbital path or trajectorydifferent from another group. The method also includes instructing thesource ground station to send the communication to a first communicationdevice of a first group of communication devices and instructing thefirst group of communication devices to send the communication to anearest linking-gateway. The method further includes instructing thelinking-gateway to send the communication to a second communicationdevice of a second group of communication devices and instructing thesecond group of communication devices to send the communication to thedestination ground station.

In some implementations, the method includes determining the path basedon at least one of a border gateway protocol, an interior gatewayprotocol, a maximum flow algorithm, or a shortest path algorithm.Additionally or alternatively, the method includes determining the pathbased on a scoring function utilizing one or more of a distance betweenthe source and the destination, a capacity of an inter-device linkbetween two devices, an operational status of a communication device,and a signal strength of a communication device. The operational statusof a communication device may include an active status or an inactivestatus of the communications device (for example, of the communicationdevice as a whole or one or more individual components of thecommunication device). In some examples, the source ground stationreceives the communication from a first user and the destination groundstation transmits the communication to a second user. The communicationdevices may include communication balloons and/or satellites. Moreover,the linking-gateway may be moving across the earth. In some examples,the method includes determining a position of the linking-gateway.

In some implementations, the method further includes instructing acurrent communication device with possession of the communication tosend the communication to a forward or rearward communication devicewithin the orbital path or trajectory of the current communicationdevice and within the same group of communication devices as the currentcommunication device. The method may further include instructing theforward or rearward communication device receiving the communication tosend the communication to the linking-gateway. Moreover, the sourceground station may receive the communication from a first user through acabled or fiber optic or a wireless radio frequency connection and thedestination ground station may transmit the communication to a seconduser through a cabled or fiber optic or wireless radio-frequencycommunication. Other implementations are possible as well, such asfree-space optical communications or combinations of free-space optical,cabled, wireless radio-frequency, and fiber optic communications betweenusers and gateways.

Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a communication systemincluding a device in communication with a source ground station, aconstellation of communication devices, a linking-gateway and adestination ground station. The constellation of communication devicesincludes groups of communication devices orbiting the earth or travelingaround the earth. Each group has an orbital path or trajectory differentfrom another group. A first communication device of a first group ofcommunication devices is in communication with the source groundstation. The linking-gateway is in communication with the first group ofcommunication devices and a second group of communication devices. Thedestination ground station is in communication with the second group ofcommunication devices. The data processing device determines a path of acommunication from the source ground station to the destination groundstation through the constellation of communication devices and thelinking-gateway. The data processing device also instructs the sourceground station to send the communication to the first communicationdevice of the first group of communication devices and instructs thefirst group of communication devices to send the communication to thelinking-gateway. The data processing device further instructs thelinking-gateway to send the communication to a second communicationdevice of the second group of communication devices and instructs thesecond group of communication devices to send the communication to thedestination ground station.

In some implementations, the source ground station receives thecommunication from a first user through a cabled or fiber opticconnection or a wireless radio-frequency connection and the destinationground station transmits the communication to a second user through acabled or fiber optic connection or a wireless radio-frequencyconnection. The communication devices may include high-altitudecommunication balloons or satellites. Moreover, the linking-gateway maybe moving across the earth. The current communication device havingpossession of the communication is in communication with a forwardcommunication device within the orbital path or trajectory of its groupof communication devices and a rearward communication device within theorbital path or trajectory of its group of communication devices viainter-device links. The current communication device, forwardcommunication device, and the rearward communication device are withinthe same group of communication devices. After the first communicationdevice receives the communication, the first communication device maysend the communication via an inter-device link to the forwardcommunication device or the rearward communication device. Thecommunication device receiving the communication may forward thecommunication to the linking-gateway, which may be moving across theearth. For example, the linking-gateway may be on a plane, train, boat,balloon or other moving object.

In some examples, the data processing device determines the path of acommunication based on a scoring function of one or more of a distancebetween the source and the destination, a capacity of an inter-devicelink between two devices, an operational status of a communicationdevice, and a signal strength of a communication device. The operationalstatus of a communication device may include an active status or aninactive status of the communication device. The device status mayreflect the status of the entire communication device or one or moreindividual components of the communication device, such as the state ofcharge of batteries and a power output of its power source.

The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are setforth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Otheraspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the descriptionand drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is schematic view of an exemplary global-scale communicationsystem with satellites and communication balloons, where the satellitesform a polar constellation.

FIG. 1B is schematic view of an exemplary group of satellites of FIG. 1Aforming a Walker constellation.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of an exemplary communication balloon ofthe global-scale communication system.

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of an exemplary satellite of theglobal-scale communication system.

FIG. 1E is a schematic view of an exemplary global-scale communicationsystem.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of two exemplary satellites in twodifferent groups communicating using a linking-gateway.

FIGS. 3A-3C are schematic views of an exemplary path between satellitesand a linking-gateway for sending a communication between a first userand a second user in a global-scale communication system.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views of an exemplary path betweenballoons and a linking-gateway for sending a communication between afirst user and a second user in a global-scale communication system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary arrangement of operations forcommunicating between two users.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1E, in some implementations, a global-scalecommunication system 100 includes High Altitude Communication Devices(HACD) 200, gateways 300 (including source ground stations 310,destination ground stations 320, and linking-gateways 330), and a systemdata processing device 110. In some examples, the source ground stations310 and/or the destination ground stations 320 are user terminal orgateways 300 connected to one or more user terminals. An HACD 200 is adevice released into the earth's atmosphere. HACD 200 may refer to acommunication balloon 200 a or a satellite 200 b in Low Earth Orbit(LEO) or Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or High Earth Orbit (HEO), includingGeosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). The HACD 200 includes an antenna 207that receives a communication 20 from a source ground station 310 andreroutes the communication signal to a destination ground station 320.The HACD 200 also includes a data processing device 110 that processesthe received communication 20 and determines a path of the communication20 to arrive at the destination ground station 320. The global-scalecommunication system 100 may include communication balloons 200 a,satellites 200 b, or a combination of both as shown in FIG. 1A.Additionally, the global-scale communication system 100 includesmultiple ground stations 300, such as a source ground station 310, adestination ground station 320, and a linking-gateway 330. The sourceground station 310 is in communication with a first user 10 a through acabled, a fiber optic, or a wireless radio-frequency connection 12 a,and the destination ground station 320 is in communication with thesecond user 10 b through a cabled, a fiber optic, or a wirelessradio-frequency connection 12 b. In some examples, the communicationbetween the source ground station 310 and the first user 10 a or thecommunication between the destination ground station 320 and the seconduser 10 b is a wireless communication (either radio-frequency orfree-space optical).

The HACDs 200 are divided into groups 202, with each group 202 (alsoreferred to as a plane, since their orbit or trajectory mayapproximately form a geometric plane) having an orbital path ortrajectory different than other groups 202. For example, the balloons200 a as the HACDs 200 rotate approximately along a latitude of theearth 30 (or in a trajectory determined in part by prevailing winds) ina first group or plane 202 aa and along a different latitude ortrajectory in a second group or plane 202 ab. Similarly, the satellites200 b may be divided into a first group or plane 202 ba and a secondgroup or plane 202 bb. The satellites 200 b may be divided into a largeror smaller number of groups 202 b. The data processing device 110 may beany one of the data processing devices 210 of the HACDs 200, the dataprocessing device 110 of any of the gateways 300, another dataprocessing device in communication with the HACDs 200 and gateways, or acombination thereof.

The first user 10 a may communicate with the second user in 10 b or athird user 10 c. Since each user 10 is in a different location separatedby an ocean or large distances, a communication 20 is transmitted fromthe first user 10 a through the global-scale communication system 100 toreach its final destination, i.e., the second or third users 10 b, 10 c.Therefore, it is desirable to have a global-scale communication system100 capable of routing communication signal traffic over long distances,where one location is in a location far from a source or destinationground station 310, 320 (e.g., ocean). In addition, it is desirable toprovide reduced latency of the system 100 and enhanced security due tothe use of the HACDs 200, as compared to fiber or cable-basedcommunications. Moreover, it is desirable to have a cost effectivesystem. As will later be discussed a global-scale communication system100 capable of being readily connected and provide connectivity of HACDs200 with fewer and simpler inter-satellite links per HACD 200 is alsodesirable.

Communication security can be a major concern when building acommunication network that allows different users 10 to communicate overlong distances and especially continents. A communication signal beingtransmitted via a cable may be intercepted and the information beingcommunicated may be retrieved. In some examples, fiber optics cables canbe tapped for interception of communications using special tappingequipment. Interception of an optical fiber allows for the retrieval ofall voice and data communications transmitted through the fiber cable,which in most instances may not be detected. The fiber may also bedeliberately or accidentally cut or damaged, interruptingcommunications. Therefore, to avoid or minimize data interception orinterruption, the global-scale communication system 100 limits or insome cases eliminates the use of fiber cables, providing a more securesignal trafficking. For example, the use of fiber optic cables islimited to relatively short distances from the source and destinationground stations 310, 320 to the user 10.

Communication balloons 200 a are balloons filled with helium or hydrogenand are released in to the earth's stratosphere to attain an altitudebetween 11 to 23 miles, and provide connectivity for a ground area of 25miles in diameter at speeds comparable to terrestrial wireless dataservices (such as 3G or 4G). The communication balloons 200 a float inthe stratosphere, at an altitude twice as high as airplanes and theweather (e.g., 20 km above the earth's surface). The high-altitudeballoons 200 a are carried around the earth 30 by winds and can besteered by rising or descending to an altitude with winds moving in thedesired direction. Winds in the stratosphere are usually steady and moveslowly at about 5 and 20 mph, and each layer of wind varies in directionand magnitude.

Referring to FIG. 1C, the communication balloons 200 a include a balloon204 (e.g., sized about 49 feet in width and 39 feet in height), anequipment box 206 a, and solar panels 208. The equipment box 206 aincludes a data processing device 210 that executes algorithms todetermine where the high-altitude balloon 200 a needs to go, then eachhigh-altitude balloon 200 a moves into a layer of wind blowing in adirection that will take it where it should be going. The equipment box206 a also includes batteries to store power and a transceiver (e.g.,antennas 207) to communicate with other balloons 200 a, internetantennas on the ground or gateways 300. The communication balloons 200 aalso include solar panels 208 that power the equipment box 206 a. Insome examples, the solar panels 208 produce about 100 watts in full sun,which is enough to keep the communication balloons 200 a running whilecharging the battery and is used during the night when there is nosunlight. When all the high-altitude balloons 200 a are workingtogether, they form a balloon constellation. In some implementations,users 10 on the ground have specialized antennas that send communicationsignals to the communication balloon 200 a eliminating the need to havea source or destination ground station 310, 320. The communicationballoon 200 a receiving the communication 20 sends the communication 20to another communication balloon 200 a until one of the communicationballoons 200 a is within reach of a destination ground station 320 thatconnects to the local internet provider and provides service to the user10 via the network of balloons 200 a.

A satellite 200 b is an object placed into orbit around the earth 30 andmay serve different purposes, such as military or civilian observationsatellites, communication satellites, navigations satellites, weathersatellites, and research satellites. The orbit of the satellite 200 bvaries depending in part on the purpose the satellite 200 b is beingused for. Satellite orbits may be classified based on their altitudefrom the surface of the earth 30 as Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium EarthOrbit (MEO), and High Earth Orbit (HEO). LEO is a geocentric orbit(i.e., orbiting around the earth 30) that ranges in altitude from 0 to1,240 miles. MEO is also a geocentric orbit that ranges in altitude from1,200 mile to 22,236 miles. HEO is also a geocentric orbit and has analtitude above 22,236 miles. Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) is aspecial case of HEO. Geostationary Earth Orbit (GSO, although sometimesalso called GEO) is a special case of Geosynchronous Earth Orbit.

Multiple satellites 200 b working in concert form a satelliteconstellation. The satellites 200 b within the satellite constellationmay be coordinated to operate together and overlap in ground coverage.Two common types of constellations are the polar constellation (FIG. 1A)and the Walker constellation (FIG. 1B), both designed to provide maximumearth coverage while using a minimum number of satellites 200 b. Thesystem 100 a of FIG. 1A includes the satellites 200 b arranged in apolar constellation that covers the entire earth 30 and orbits thepoles, while the system 100 b of FIG. 1B includes satellites 200 barranged in a Walker constellation that covers areas below certainlatitudes, which provides a larger number of satellites 200 bsimultaneously in view of a user 10 on the ground (leading to higheravailability, fewer dropped connections).

Referring to FIG. 1D, a satellite 200 b includes a satellite body 206 bhaving a data processing device 210, similar to the data processingdevice 210 of the communication balloons 200 a. The data processingdevice 210 executes algorithms to determine where the satellite 200 b isheading. The satellite 200 b also includes an antenna 207 for receivingand transmitting a communication 20. The satellite 200 b includes solarpanels 208 mounted on the satellite body 206 b. The solar panels 208provide power to the satellite 200 b. In some examples, the satellite200 b includes rechargeable batteries used when sunlight is not reachingand charging the solar panels 208.

When constructing a global-scale communications system 100 from multipleHACDs 200, it is sometimes desirable to route traffic over longdistances through the system 100 by linking one HACD 200 to another. Forexample, two satellites 200 b may communicate via inter-satellite linksand two balloons 200 a may communicate via inter-balloon links. Suchinter-device (satellite 200 b or balloon 200 a) linking IDL is useful toprovide communication services to areas far from source and destinationground stations 310, 320 and may also reduce latency and enhancesecurity (fiber optic cables 12 may be intercepted and data goingthrough the cable may be retrieved). This type of inter-devicecommunication is different than the “bent-pipe” model, in which all thesignal traffic goes from a ground-base gateway 310, 320 to a satellite200 b, and then directly down to a user 10 on earth 30 or vice versa.The “bent-pipe” model does not include any inter-device communications;instead, the satellite 200 b acts as a repeater. In some examples of“bent-pipe” models, the signal received by the satellite 200 b isamplified before it is re-transmitted; however, no signal processingoccurs. In other examples of the “bent-pipe” model, part or all of thesignal may be processed and decoded to allow for one or more of routingto different beams, error correction, or quality-of-service control;however no inter-device communication occurs.

In some implementations, long-scale HACD constellations (e.g., balloonconstellation or satellite constellations) are described in terms of anumber of planes or groups 202, and the number of HACDs 200 per plane202. HACDs 200 within the same plane 202 maintain the same positionrelative to their intra-plane HACD 200 neighbors. However, the positionof an HACD 200 relative to neighbors in an adjacent plane 202 variesover time. For example, in a large-scale satellite constellation withnear-polar orbits, satellites 200 b within the same plane (whichcorresponds roughly to a specific latitude, at a given point in time)202 ba (FIG. 1A) maintain a roughly constant position relative to theirintra-plane neighbors (i.e., a forward and a rearward satellite 200 b),but their position relative to neighbors in an adjacent plane 202 bb,202 bc, 202 bd varies over time. A similar concept applies to thecommunication balloons 200 a; however, the communication balloons 200 arotate the earth 30 about its latitudinal plane and maintain roughly aconstant position to its neighboring communication balloons 200 a (seethe balloon planes 202 aa, 202 ab in FIG. 1A).

Inter-device link (IDL) eliminates or reduces the number of HACDs 200 togateway hops, which decreases the latency and increases the overallnetwork capabilities. Inter-device links allow for communication trafficfrom one HACD 200 covering a particular region to be seamlessly handedover to another HACD 200 covering the same region, where a first HACD200 is leaving the first area and a second HACD 200 is entering thearea.

In some implementations, an HACD constellation includes HACDs 200 havingenough inter-device links to make the constellation fully-connected,where each HACD 200 is equipped with communication equipment andadditional antennas 207 to track the location of other HACDs 200 in thesame plane 202 or in other adjacent planes 202 in order to communicatewith the other satellites 200 b. This increases the cost of the HACD200, since it adds additional hardware (e.g., the additional antennas)and computations for the HACD 200 to track HACDs 200 in other planes 202whose position is constantly changing. Therefore, to maintain thesimplicity and low cost of design, construction, and launch of thesystem 100, the system 100 includes an HACD 200 that only tracks a firstHACD 200 in front or forward of it and another HACD 200 behind it orrearward of it. Referring back to FIG. 1A, consider polar plane 202 bdhaving three visible satellites 200 ba, 200 bb, 200 bc. The currentsatellite 200 ba is in communication with a forward satellite 200 bb anda rearward satellite 200 bc via inter-device linking. The currentsatellite 200 ba is not capable of directly communicating with othersatellites 200 b in another plane 202, or other satellites 200 b notbeing the forward satellite 200 bb or the rearward satellite 200 bc. Toachieve a fully-connected system 100, the system 100 includeslinking-gateways 330 that receive a communication 20 from an HACD 200and send the communication 20 to another HACD 200 in a different plane202. As shown in FIG. 1A, a linking-gateway 330 a, 330 b, 330 c connectstwo HACDs 200 each being in a different group or plane 202 bb, 202 bc.This means that the linking-gateway 330 is in communication with atleast a first group of HACDs 200 orbiting in a first plane 202 aa, 202ba, and a second group of HACDs 200 orbiting in a second plane 202 ab,202 bb, different than the first plane 202 aa, 202 ba; thelinking-gateway 330 receives the communication 20 from the first group202 aa, 202 ba of HACDs 200 and sends the communication 20 to the secondgroup 202 ab, 202 bb of HACDs 200. The first group orbiting the firstplane 202 aa, 202 ba receives the communication 20 from a source groundstation 310 and the second group orbiting the second plane 202 ab, 202bb sends the communication to a destination ground station 320. Thisset-up provides a fully-connected HACD constellation at a lower priceand less complexity than the current satellites 200 b that have complexalgorithms to track multiple other HACDs 200, which means a signal fromone HACD 200 can be sent to any other HACD 200 within the constellation.For example, within a plane 202, each HACD 200 can link with a forwardHACD 200 located in front of the current HACD 200, and a backward HACD200 located rearward the current HACD 200. This reduces the number oflinks of each HACD 200 to other HACDs 200, thus reducing the cost ofadditional equipment needed for tracking more than one HACD 200.

A ground station 300 is usually used as a connector between HACDs 200and the internet, or between HACDs 200 and user terminals 10. However,the system 100 utilizes the gateways 300 as linking-gateways 330 forrelaying a communication 20 from one HACD 200 to another HACD 200 whereeach HACD is in a different plane 202. Each linking-gateway 330 receivesa communication 20 from an orbiting HACD 200, processes thecommunication 20 and switches the communication 20 to another HACD 200in a different plane 202. Therefore, the combination of the HACD 200 andthe linking-gateways 330 provide a fully-connected system 100 when usingthe linking-gateways 330 to fill the gap reducing the number of antennasof each HACD 200, which track other HACD 200 devices that are withinanother plane 202 of the current HACD 200.

For simplification purposes, consider a system 100 having two in-planeIDLs and no IDLs to other planes 202. In other words, each HACD 200 seesanother HACD 200 immediately in front of it and another one immediatelybehind it. The system 100 looks like a series of rings, each being aplane 202, where each ring is isolated from other rings (planes 202).Communication signals 20 may be passed from one plane 202 to another,i.e., the rings may be connected, by sending the communication signal 20from one ring to a linking-gateway 330, which in turn sends it toanother ring. The linking-gateway 330 receives the communication 20 andlinks it to another HACD 200 in another ring without allowing thecommunication 20 to be transferred through terrestrial networks (e.g.,fiber cables), which provides security benefits.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the linking-gateways 330 may be astationary linking-gateway 330 a or a moving linking-gateway 330 b, 330c (e.g., positioned on a moving object, such as an airplane, train,boat, or any other moving object). Referring to FIG. 2A, in someexamples, in a constellation of satellites 200 b, the balloons 200 a actas a linking-gateway 330 a. As shown, a first satellite 200 ba in afirst plane 202 ba and a second satellite 200 bb in a second plane 202bb are able send a communication 20 between one another, without theadditional antennas and hardware required, by utilizing thelinking-gateways 330 to relay or retransmit the signal from the firstsatellite 200 ba to the second satellite 200 bb. The linking-gateway 330is (or on) any one of a balloon 200 a, an airplane 330 c, a boat 330 b,or a stationary device 330 a on non-moving land. Also as shown, thelinking-gateways 330 are moving objects. Referring to FIG. 2B, in someexamples, the constellation of balloons 200 a uses the linking-gateways330 to link a first balloon 200 aa in a first plane 202 aa with a secondballoon 200 ab in a second plane 202 ab using a linking-gateway 330. Insome examples, the satellites 200 b act as linking-gateways 330.

In some implementations, where an HACD constellation follows a polar ornear-polar orbit, a linking-gateway 330 is located near one or both ofthe poles. This is particularly useful because one linking-gateway 330can “see” or in other words communicate with HACDs 200 in most or allplanes 202, thus enabling communication signals to pass from any plane202 to any other plane 202 with a single linking-gateway bounce.

FIGS. 3A-3C provide examples of communication paths 22 from a first user10 a to a second user 10 b. In some examples, a first user 10 a inBrazil wants to communicate with a second user 10 b in the U.S.A. Thefirst user 10 a sends a communication 20 to the second user 10 b. Theglobal-scale communication system 100 receives the communication 20 at asource ground station 310 and determines (using the system dataprocessor 110) a path 22 leading to the destination ground station 320.In some examples, the source ground station 310 receives thecommunication 20 from the first user 10 a through a cabled or fiberoptic connection 12. In other examples, the source ground station 310receives the communication 20 through a wireless radio-frequencycommunication. Similarly, the destination ground station 320 maytransmit the communication 20 to the second user 10 b through cables orfiber optic connection 12, or through a wireless radio-frequencycommunication. Other examples are possible as well, such as free-spaceoptical communications or combinations of free-space optical, cabled,wireless radio-frequency, and fiber optic communications between users10 and gateways 300 (e.g., source and destination ground stations 310,320). Moreover, a user 10 may be in a house, a residential building, acommercial building, a data center, a computing facility, or a serviceprovider. In some examples, the source ground station 310 and/or thedestination ground station 320 connects to one or more users 10.Moreover, a user 10 may be a source ground station 310 or a destinationground station 320.

When the system 100 receives the communication 20, the system dataprocessing device 210 determines the path 22 of the communication 20based on one or more criterions. In some implementations, the systemdata processing device 110 considers, but is not limited to, bordergateway protocol (which includes routing algorithms), interior gatewayprotocol, maximum flow problem, and/or shortest path problem.

The border gateway protocol (BGP) is an exterior gateway protocol usedto exchange routing and reachability information between autonomoussystems on the internet. The protocol is classified as either a pathvector protocol or a distance vector routing protocol. The path routingprotocol is a computer routing protocol for maintaining the pathinformation (of a communication 20) that gets updated dynamically. Thepath routing protocol is different from the distance vector routingprotocol in that each entry in its routing table includes a destinationnetwork (e.g., destination ground station 320 or end user 10 b), thenext router (e.g., the next HACD 200), and the path 22 to reach thedestination ground station 320. The distance vector routing protocolrequires that a router (e.g., HACD 200 or linking-gateway 330) informsits neighbors (e.g., HACD 200 or linking-gateway 330) of topologychanges periodically. When the system 100 uses the distance vectorrouting protocol, the system 100 considers the direction in which eachcommunication 20 should be forwarded, and the distance from itsdestination (current position). The system data processing device 110calculates the direction and the distance to any other HACD 200 in thesystem 100. Direction is the measure of the cost to reach the nextdestination; therefore, the shortest distance between two nodes (e.g.,HACDs 200, gateways 300) is the minimum distance. The routing table ofthe distance vector protocol of a current device (e.g., HACD 200 orgateway 300) is periodically updated and may be sent to neighboringdevices. BGP does not utilize Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP).

Interior gateway protocol (IGP) may be used for exchanging routinginformation between gateways (e.g., HACDs 200 or linking-gateways 330)within an autonomous system (e.g., the system 100). This routinginformation can then be used to route network-level protocols likeInternet Protocol (IP). By contrast, exterior gateway protocols are usedto exchange routing information between autonomous systems and rely onIGPs to resolve routes within an autonomous system. IGP can be dividedinto two categories: distance-vector routing protocols and link-staterouting protocols. Specific examples of IGP protocols include OpenShortest Path First (OSPF), Routing Information Protocol (RIP) andIntermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS).

The maximum flow problem and associated algorithm includes finding afeasible flow from a single source to a single destination through anetwork that is maximal, where the source and the destination areseparated by other devices (e.g. HACDs 200, gateways 300). The maximumflow problem considers the upper bound capacity between the HACDs 200 orgateways 300 to determine the maximum flow. The shortest path problemincludes finding a shortest path 22 between the HACDs or gateways 300,where the shortest path 22 includes the smallest cost. Shortest path maybe defined in terms of physical distance, or in terms of some otherquantity or composite score or weight, which is desirable to minimize.Other algorithms may also be used to determine the path 22 of acommunication 20.

The algorithms used to determine the path 22 of a communication 20 mayinclude a scoring function for assigning a score or weight value to eachlink (communication between the HACDs 200 or between the HACDs 200 andthe gateways 300). These scores are considered in the algorithms used.For example, the algorithm may try to minimize the cumulative weight ofthe path 22 (i.e., sum of the weights of all the links that make up thepath 22). In some implementations, the system data processor 110considers the physical distance (and, closely related, latency) betweenthe HACD 200 or gateway 300, the current link load compared to thecapacity of the link between the HACD 200 or gateway 300, the health ofthe HACD 200 or gateway 300, or its operational status (active orinactive, where active indicates that the device is operational andhealthy and inactive where the device is not operational); the batteryof the HACD 200 or gateway 300 (e.g., how long will the device havepower); and the signal strength at the user terminal (for userterminal-to-satellite link).

Referring back to FIG. 3A, the system data processing device 110 maydetermine the path 22 of the communication 30 as shown. For example, thesource ground station 310 receives the communication 20 and sends it tothe nearest satellite 200 bg, which in turn sends it to alinking-gateway 300 a (ground gateway). The linking-gateway 330 ain-turn sends the communication 20 to another satellite 200 ba being ina different plane 202 than the first receiving satellite 200 bg. Thesecond satellite 200 ba sends the communication 20 to a forwards orrearward satellite 200 bc (depending on the orbital path of thesatellites 200 b) via inter-device links, which in turn sends thecommunication 20 to another satellite 200 bd via inter-device links, andlastly to a final satellite 200 be via inter-device links. The finalsatellite 200 be sends the communication 20 to its destination groundstation 320, which sends the communication 20 to the end user 10 b. Asdescribed, the communication 20 hoped planes 202 by using thelinking-gateway 330.

Another example of a path 22 between a source ground station 310 and adestination ground station 320 is shown in FIG. 3B. In this case, thecommunication 20 travels from the source ground station 310 to a firstsatellite 200 bg, then from the first satellite 200 bg to a secondsatellite 200 bf via inter-device links. The second satellite 200 bfsends the communication to a linking-gateway 330, in this case a movinggateway 300 b (e.g., a boat 330 b), which in turns links thecommunication 20 between the satellites 200 bf, 200 bc in two planes 202ba, 202 bb. The satellites 200 bc, 200 bd, 200 be within the secondplane 202 bb communicate via inter-device links to transfer thecommunication 20 to its destination ground station 320.

A third example of a path 22 between a source ground station 310 and adestination ground station 320 is shown in FIG. 3C. In this case, thecommunication 20 travels from the source ground station 310 to a firstsatellite 200 bg in a first plane 202 ba, then from the first satellite200 bg, to a second satellite 200 bf to a third satellite 200 be wherethe communication between the two satellites 200 b is via inter-devicelinks. The third satellite 200 be sends the communication 20 to alinking-gateway 330 c being a moving gateway (e.g., an airplane 300 c),which links the communication 20 to the satellite 200 b in the secondplane 202 bb.

As described in FIGS. 3A-3C, the communication 20 travels from a firstuser 10 a to a second user 10 via one linking-gateway 330 from a firstgroup (e.g., plane 202) of satellites 200 b to a second group (e.g.,plane 202) of satellites 200 b. However, in some implementations, thecommunication 20 travels through more than one linking-gateway 330,e.g., a second linking-gateway 330, to a third group (e.g., plane 202)of satellites 200 b. This could be repeated as many times as necessary(i.e., multiple linking-gateways 330 linking satellites 200 b located indifferent planes 202) to reach a final group of satellites 200 b, whichin turn sends the communication 20 to the destination ground station320.

Similar to the examples of FIGS. 3A-3B where the HACD 200 is a satellite200 b, FIGS. 4A and 4B show a constellation of balloons 200 a where thesystem data processor 110 determines a path 22 of the communication 20amongst the communication balloons 200 a from a first user 10 a to asecond user 10 b. The path 22 includes communication balloons 200 a in afirst plane 202 aa linking to the communication balloons 200 a in asecond plane 202 ab. The linking-gateway 330 is a moving boat 330 b(FIG. 4A) or an airplane 330 c (FIG. 4B). In some examples, not shown,the linking-gateway 330 is a ground gateway 300 (similar to the oneshown in FIG. 3A). The communication path, as shown is as follows:source ground station 310, communication balloons 200 af, 200 ag, 200ah, 200 ai, linking-gateway 330 b, 330 c, communication balloons 200 ad,200 ac, 200 ab, and destination ground station 320.

In some examples, all communication between a first user 10 a and asecond user 10 b is via the system 100. However, in other instances, thefirst user 10 a may request a communication 20 that is cached within oneof the gateways 300 and the system 100, and thus the communication 20(for instance, a user-requested video) is served from a cache at thenearby gateways 300.

As described in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the communication 20 travels from afirst user 10 a to a second user 10 via one linking-gateway 330 from afirst group (e.g., plane 202) of balloons 200 a to a second group (e.g.,plane 202) of balloons 200 a. However, in some implementations, thecommunication 20 travels through more than one linking-gateway 330,e.g., a second linking-gateway 330, to a third group (e.g., plane 202)of balloons 200 a. This could be repeated as many times as necessary(i.e., multiple linking-gateways 330 linking balloons 200 a located indifferent planes 202) to reach a final group of balloons 200 a, which inturn sends the communication 20 to the destination ground station 320.

Referring to FIG. 5, a method 500 of communication includes determining502 a path 22 of a communication 20 from a source ground station 310 toa destination ground station 320 through a constellation ofcommunication devices (e.g., HACDs 200, such as communication balloons200 a or satellites 200 b) including groups (e.g., planes 202) ofcommunication devices 200 orbiting the earth 30. Each group 202 has anorbital path or trajectory different from another group 202. The method500 also includes instructing 504 the source ground station 310 to sendthe communication 20 to a first communication device 200 of a firstgroup of communication devices 200 and instructing 506 the first groupof communication devices 200 to send the communication 20 to a nearestlinking-gateway 330. The method 500 further includes instructing 508 thelinking-gateway 330 to send the communication 20 to a secondcommunication device 200 of a second group of communication devices 200and instructing 510 the second group of communication devices 200 tosend the communication 20 to the destination ground station 320.

In some implementations, the method 500 includes determining the path 22based on at least one of a border gateway protocol, a maximum flowproblem, or a shortest path problem. Other factors may be used fordetermining the path as well. In some examples, the method 500 includesdetermining the path 22 based on a scoring function of one or more of adistance between the source ground station 310 and the destinationground station 320, a capacity of an inter-device link between twodevices 200, an operational status of a communication device 200, and asignal strength of a communication device 200. The operational status ofa communication device 200 may be an active status or an inactivestatus, where the method 500 includes avoiding inactive communicationdevices 200 while determining the communication path. In some examples,the source ground station 310 receives the communication 20 from a firstuser 10 a and the destination ground station 320 transmits thecommunication 20 to a second user 10 b. The linking-gateway 330 may bemoving across the earth 30 (e.g., on a balloon, plane, train,automobile, boat, or other moving object). As such, the method 500 mayinclude determining a position of the linking-gateway 330.

In some implementations, the method 500 further includes instructing acurrent communication device 200 with possession of the communication 20to send the communication 20 to a forward or rearward communicationdevice 200 within the orbital path or trajectory of the currentcommunication device 200 and within the same group 202 of communicationdevices 200 as the current communication device 200. The method 500 mayfurther include instructing the forward or rearward communication device200 receiving the communication 20 to send the communication 20 to thelinking-gateway 330. The source ground station 310 may receive thecommunication 20 from a first user 10 a through a cabled or fiber opticor a wireless radio-frequency connection and the destination groundstation 320 may transmit the communication 20 to a second user 10 bthrough a cabled or fiber optic or a wireless radio-frequencycommunication; however, other modes of communication are possible aswell. For example, users 10 a, 10 b may communicate with gateways 300,such as source and destination ground stations 310, 320 through wired,fiber optic, free-space optical, wireless communications or acombination thereof.

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here canbe realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits),FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays), computer hardware, firmware,software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations caninclude implementation in one or more computer programs that areexecutable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including atleast one programmable processor, which may be special or generalpurpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmitdata and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device,and at least one output device.

These computer programs (also known as programs, software, softwareapplications or code) include machine instructions for a programmableprocessor and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/orobject-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machinelanguage. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and“computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product,apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory,Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructionsand/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readablemedium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal.The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to providemachine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

Implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Moreover,subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as oneor more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computerprogram instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for executionby, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. Thecomputer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, amachine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition ofmatter affecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combinationof one or more of them. The terms “data processing apparatus”,“computing device” and “computing processor” encompass all apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers.The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of one or moreof them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g.,a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal thatis generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiverapparatus.

A computer program (also known as an application, program, software,software application, script, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, andit can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or asa module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in acomputing environment. A computer program does not necessarilycorrespond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in aportion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or morescripts stored in a markup language document), in a single filededicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files(e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portionsof code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on onecomputer or on multiple computers that are located at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit), or an ASIC specially designedto withstand the high radiation environment of space (known as“radiation hardened”, or “rad-hard”).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a mobile audio player, a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver, to name just a few. Computer readable media suitable forstoring computer program instructions and data include all forms ofnon-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way ofexample semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,special purpose logic circuitry.

One or more aspects of the disclosure can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a backend component, e.g., as a data server, orthat includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, orthat includes a frontend component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the subject matter described in thisspecification, or any combination of one or more such backend,middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), aninter-network (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., adhoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someimplementations, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to aclient device (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receivinguser input from a user interacting with the client device). Datagenerated at the client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction)can be received from the client device at the server.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what maybe claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific toparticular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that aredescribed in this specification in the context of separateimplementations can also be implemented in combination in a singleimplementation. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single implementation can also be implemented in multipleimplementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multi-tasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the following claims. Forexample, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in adifferent order and still achieve desirable results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication system comprising: a sourceground station; a constellation of communication devices comprisinggroups of communication devices orbiting earth, each group having anorbital path or trajectory different from another group, a firstcommunication device of a first group of communication devices incommunication with the source ground station and receiving acommunication from the source ground station; a linking-gateway incommunication with at least the first group of communication devices anda second group of communication devices, the linking-gateway receivingthe communication from the first group of communication devices andsending the communication to a second communication device of the secondgroup of communication devices; a destination ground station incommunication with the second group of communication devices, thedestination ground station receiving the communication from acommunication device of the second group of communication devices; and adata processing device configured to determine a communication path forthe communication based on a border gateway protocol that requires: thelinking-gateway to periodically inform of topology changes; and arouting table to be periodically updated and sent, the routing tableincluding a destination network, a next router along a correspondingcommunication path, and the corresponding communication path to reach acorresponding destination ground station.
 2. The communication system ofclaim 1, wherein the source ground station receives the communicationfrom a first user through a cabled, fiber optic, radio-frequencywireless, or free-space optical connection and the destination groundstation transmits the communication to a second user through a cabled,fiber optic, radio-frequency wireless, or free-space optical connection.3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communicationdevices comprise communication balloons and/or satellites.
 4. Thecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the linking-gateway is movingacross the earth.
 5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein acurrent communication device having possession of the communication isin communication with a forward communication device within the orbitalpath or trajectory of its group of communication devices and a rearwardcommunication device within the orbital path or trajectory of its groupof communication devices via inter-device links, the currentcommunication device, the forward communication device, and the rearwardcommunication device within the same group of communication devices. 6.The communication system of claim 5, wherein after the firstcommunication device receives the communication, the first communicationdevice sends the communication via an inter-device link to the forwardcommunication device or the rearward communication device, thecommunication device receiving the communication forwarding thecommunication to the linking-gateway.
 7. The communication system ofclaim 6, wherein the data processing device is in communication with thesource ground station, the constellation of communication devices, thelinking-gateway, and the destination ground station, the data processingdevice determining the communication path of the communication from asource in communication with the source ground station to a destinationin communication with the destination ground station.
 8. Thecommunication system of claim 7, wherein the data processing devicedetermines the communication path based on at least one of the bordergateway protocol, an interior gateway protocol, a maximum flowalgorithm, or a shortest path algorithm.
 9. A method of communication,the method comprising: determining, by data processing hardware, acommunication path of a communication from a source ground station to adestination ground station through a constellation of communicationdevices based on a border gateway protocol, the constellation ofcommunication devices comprising groups of communication devicesorbiting earth, each group having an orbital path or trajectorydifferent from another group, the border gateway protocol requiring: alinking-gateway to periodically inform of topology changes; and arouting table to be periodically updated and sent, the routing tableincluding a destination network, a next router along a correspondingcommunication path, and the corresponding communication path to reach acorresponding destination ground station; instructing, by the dataprocessing hardware, the source ground station to send the communicationto a first communication device of a first group of communicationdevices; instructing, by the data processing hardware, the first groupof communication devices to send the communication to thelinking-gateway; instructing, by the data processing hardware, thelinking-gateway to send the communication to a second communicationdevice of a second group of communication devices; and instructing, bythe data processing hardware, the second group of communication devicesto send the communication to the destination ground station.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising determining the communication pathbased on at least one of the border gateway protocol, an interiorgateway protocol, a maximum flow algorithm, or a shortest pathalgorithm.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the source ground stationreceives the communication from a first user and the destination groundstation transmits the communication to a second user.
 12. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the communication devices comprise communicationballoons and/or satellites.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein thelinking-gateway is moving across the earth.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising determining or tracking a position of thelinking-gateway.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:instructing a current communication device having possession of thecommunication to send the communication to a forward or rearwardcommunication device within the orbital path or trajectory of thecurrent communications device and within the same group of communicationdevices as the current communication device; and instructing the forwardor rearward communication device receiving the communication to send thecommunication to the linking-gateway.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein the source ground station receives the communication from afirst user through a cabled, fiber optic, radio-frequency wireless, orfree-space optical connection and the destination ground stationtransmits the communication to a second user through a cabled, fiberoptic, radio-frequency wireless, or free-space optical communication.17. A communication system comprising: a data processing device incommunication with: a source ground station; a constellation ofcommunication devices comprising groups of communication devicesorbiting earth, each group having an orbital path or trajectorydifferent from another group, a first communication device of a firstgroup of communication devices in communication with the source groundstation; a linking-gateway in communication with the first group ofcommunication devices and a second group of communication devices; and adestination ground station in communication with the second group ofcommunication devices, wherein the data processing device is configuredto perform operations comprising: determining a communication path of acommunication from the source ground station to the destination groundstation through the constellation of communication devices and thelinking-gateway based on a border gateway protocol requiring: thelinking-gateway to periodically inform of topology changes; and arouting table to be periodically updated and sent, the routing tableincluding a destination network, a next router along a correspondingcommunication path, and the corresponding communication path to reach acorresponding destination ground station; instructing the source groundstation to send the communication to the first communication device ofthe first group of communication devices; instructing the first group ofcommunication devices to send the communication to the linking-gateway;instructing the linking-gateway to send the communication to a secondcommunication device of the second group of communication devices; andinstructing the second group of communication devices to send thecommunication to the destination ground station.
 18. The communicationsystem of claim 17, wherein the source ground station receives thecommunication from a first user through a cabled or fiber opticconnection and the destination ground station transmits thecommunication to a second user through a cabled or fiber opticconnection.
 19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein thecommunication devices comprise high-altitude communication balloons orsatellites.
 20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein thelinking-gateway is moving across the earth.
 21. The communication systemof claim 17, wherein a current communication device having possession ofthe communication is in communication with a forward communicationdevice within the orbital path or trajectory of its group ofcommunication devices and a rearward communication device within theorbital path or trajectory of its group of communication devices viainter-device links, the current communication device, the forwardcommunication device, and the rearward communication device within thesame group of communication devices.
 22. The communication system ofclaim 21, wherein after the first communication device receives thecommunication, the first communication device sends the communicationvia an inter-device link to the forward communication device or therearward communication device, the communication device receiving thecommunication forwarding the communication to the linking-gateway. 23.The communication system of claim 17, wherein the operations furthercomprise determining the communication path based on at least one of theborder gateway protocol, an interior gateway protocol, a maximum flowalgorithm, or a shortest path algorithm.